Flush tank drip pan



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S. C. QUALHEIM ET AL 'FLUSH TANK DRIP PAN Filed May 27, 1948 INVENTORSSVERRE COUALHEIM HAROLD J.QUA1 HEiM Patented May 30, 1950 FLUSH TANKDRIP PAN Sverre C. Qualheim and Harold J. Qualheim, Racine, Wis.

Application May 27, 1948, Serial No. 29,488

1 claim. 1

Our invention refers to drip pans for toilet flush tanks. The primaryobject of our invention is to provide a light weight exteriorly ribbedpan having transverse throat slots therein for the reception of theflush pipe and supply pipe of the tank. The pipe throats are ribbed andshouldered for the reception of interlocked drain covers and we providea plurality of adjustable cups whereby the pan is detachably secured tothe bottom of a tank without the aid of a skilled mechanic.

With the above and other objects in View, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafterdescribed, and more particularly defined by the appended claim, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated one complete example of thephysical embodiment of the present invention constructed according tothe best mode so far devised for the practical application of theprinciples thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a plan view of a drip pan embodying the features ofour invention, parts being broken away and in section to more clearlyillustrate structural features.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the pan, the sectionbeing indicated by line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross section of the same, the section being indicated byline 33 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is another cross section of the same, the section being shownupon a, plane as indicated by line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Referring by characters to the drawings, l indicates a rectangular drippan which may be stamped from light material or molded preferably ofaluminum material.

The edges of the pan are provided with an upstanding rib I and thebottom of the pan, as best indicated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings,is inclined forwardly for draining purposes. The front rib portion isformed with a drain gutter 2 which is flared towards the center of thepan and said gutter has molded therein a centrally disposed nipple 3 forthe reception of a small nexi- 2 ble drain pipe 3 which may beconveniently inserted within the toilet bowl.

'I'he rear side of the pan is 'provided with a pair of transverselydisposed throats 4-4 terminating with semi-circular ends for thereception,

as indicated in dotted lines, of the flush pipe A and the supply pipe B,which pipes communicate with the flush tank, not shown.

As best shown in Figure 2 o f the drawings, the bottom of the pan, as awhole, is downwardly inclined towards the center whereby drainage iseffected in conjunction with the gutter 3.

The pipe receiving throats which interrupt the rear flange of the tank,are provided with upstanding lips 5-5, which lips are shouldered withreference to their point of intersecting with the rear rib portion I andsaid lips are also provided with shoulders 5 intersecting the circularbase portion of the lips, for the purpose of receiving and interlockinga pair of removable caps 6 6'. The caps serve to close the throats andthe same are preferably crowned for drainage purposes and thelongitudinal edges thereof are formed with depending flanges 1 1.

The caps at their inner ends are semi-circular in form to coincide withthe semi-circular base of the pan throats whereby the water pipes areencased.

In order to adjust the pan to the bottom of a flush tank, not shown, weprovide the bottom of said pan with a series of threaded Shanks 8, thesame being molded within the bottom surface of the pan.

The Shanks, having adjustably fitted thereto, bosses 9 terminating withvacuum cups 9', the same being formed from any suitable exible materialsuch, for example, as rubber or the like.

The cup shanks 8 extend in pairs from the bottom of the tank at thefront and rear portion thereof, and due to the adjustability of thebosses of the cups upon the shanks 8, the angle of the pan may be variedwith reference to the discharge nipple, which angle in many cases mustbe varied due to the fact that such pans are attached to old flushtanks, the same being sagged due to age of the installation.

By this simple construction, the pan may be adjusted to the bottom of atank by those unskilled in the art of mechanics whereby the series ofcups will firmly adhere to the bottom of the 3 iiush tank and inconjunction with their adjustability the drain angles of the pan may beVaried.

After such adjustment of the pan to the tank, the caps 6--6' are simplydropped into place over the lipped throats of said pan whereby the capsare rrnly held in their proper positions with relation to the drip panand associated parts, it being noted in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings,that the rear crowned ends of these caps are formed with tapered beadsE, which beads serve to engage the interrupted rear ribbed portion I soas to insure that all drainage from the tank Walls will be directed intothe drip pan.

We claim:

In a dripv pan attachable to the bottom of a iiush tank, having throatsfor the reception of the water supply, flush pipes and a drain nozzlemeans for adjustably securing the pan to the tank bottom, comprising apair of front and rear threaded Shanks, vacuum cups having bossesengageable with the threaded shanks, the cups being rotatably adjustedupon the shanks to increase or decrease the length of the cups relativeto the pan bottom, whereby the angle of the pan is varied, withreference to its drain nozzle.

SVERRE C. QUALI-EIM.

HAROLD J. QUALHEIM.

REFERENCES CITED The following ,references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 392,576 Tuttle Nov. 6, 18882,156,174 BraatzzI Apr. 25, 1939 2,211,226 Bautz Aug. 13, 1940 2,451,714Buffham Oct. 19, 1948

